The Ultimate DIY thread - Ubuilding (Pics)
Hey all, There is another, albeit smaller, side to this whole RV thing - those crazy folks who build their own for whatever reason. Whether you've scratch-built it from the ground up, assembled a kit...
Forum Discussion
Thanks for continued interest in the build, guys. 'Project Glacier' was a perfect name for this build given the pace. I started a new job in the spring and it's kept me too busy to build.
Besides, the fishing's been FAR too good this summer :)
Earlier this year I got frustrated with the lack of work space at the house so the shell is now in smaller pieces stored under the deck until we move, probably in the new year. I wanted to glass bigger panels than it's currently in, but this is a workable solution given the space I have. I'll pull them out one at a time, glass them and put them back into storage. Some of the corners may not hold their angles exactly, but I can fix that as I'm glassing them all together later. One of the great things about composites is the flexibility to rejoin the panels however I need to without losing structural strength, so I'm not too worried about it.
I have enough of a shape now that I won't need the 1X4 formers anymore. As I was pulling them out, I was actually surprised at just how much room there was inside. I mean, of course it'll fill up quick as I start building up the inside but I think that pushing the side wall out was worth the extra work to pick up the extra width. I don't have the storage space that those (square) corners would normally give, but the whole point of this build is to leave the junk (and its weight) at home.
I wasn't really happy with the way the sandwich floor came out, so I cut it up and took it to the dump. I have the dimensions from it so I can rebuild it easily enough. I think I'll use 1/4" marine ply for the upper and lower skins and 2" foam for the core. Despite being encapsulated in epoxy, using the luan was a mistake made in the name of cost, as was using EPS (white) foam instead of XPS (pink or blue) for the core. Fortunately, my work situation now means I don't have to make such deep compromises.
I'm back onto using the appliances again despite the space they take up and I think I just found (this past week) a local source for the cartridge heater the fridge needs. I've also got a local plastics guy who's going to make up a replacement window for the cracked one in the marine hatch that I'm using for the vent/window in the head. Because it's on the forward slope of the nose, a glass window there wouldn't survive the first logging road. Using the hatch means I won't need a stone shield for towing. I'll get him to make up a spare as well, just in case...
I'm moving away from using the windows I salvaged in favor of tinted frame-less windows. The cedar frames for the skylight windows went together pretty well (though they're not finished yet either) - so I may do something similar and use the top-hinged rear windows from a full size van since they are flat. Instead of having them kick out an inch or so at the bottom, I'll use hinges in the top holes that will let me open them right up as an awning window. I don't know that I'll be able to get hinges that will mate directly to the holes in the glass, so I'll use the regular round inserts that the factory hinges screw to and run a strip of aluminum bar stock across the inside that I can tap for whatever hinges I want to use.
I'm sure I rambled about it a few pages back, but I've got my solar panels up on the roof of the house and feed them into a 100 A*h deep cycle. From there it's into an inverter to run the espresso machine in the kitchen. I've been doing that as a tester for over a year now. I brought my load tester home from work last week and the battery still has its original capacity. Even at my latitude and with out grey coastal winters, the solar works well enough that I will put those panels on the roof instead of using that space for skylights (there's not enough roof area to do both).
I've been spending most of my spare time this summer fishing and now we're getting into my favorite season for camping - I'm actually leaving in a couple hours for the first trip of the year - but I will be back onto the build soon and I'll resume here when I do.
Again, thanks for sharing your interest in the project and for following along. It's been a long road so far but I still think it's be the best option for my vehicle and for how I like to camp, which tells me I must be on the right track...
Besides, the fishing's been FAR too good this summer :)
Earlier this year I got frustrated with the lack of work space at the house so the shell is now in smaller pieces stored under the deck until we move, probably in the new year. I wanted to glass bigger panels than it's currently in, but this is a workable solution given the space I have. I'll pull them out one at a time, glass them and put them back into storage. Some of the corners may not hold their angles exactly, but I can fix that as I'm glassing them all together later. One of the great things about composites is the flexibility to rejoin the panels however I need to without losing structural strength, so I'm not too worried about it.
I have enough of a shape now that I won't need the 1X4 formers anymore. As I was pulling them out, I was actually surprised at just how much room there was inside. I mean, of course it'll fill up quick as I start building up the inside but I think that pushing the side wall out was worth the extra work to pick up the extra width. I don't have the storage space that those (square) corners would normally give, but the whole point of this build is to leave the junk (and its weight) at home.
I wasn't really happy with the way the sandwich floor came out, so I cut it up and took it to the dump. I have the dimensions from it so I can rebuild it easily enough. I think I'll use 1/4" marine ply for the upper and lower skins and 2" foam for the core. Despite being encapsulated in epoxy, using the luan was a mistake made in the name of cost, as was using EPS (white) foam instead of XPS (pink or blue) for the core. Fortunately, my work situation now means I don't have to make such deep compromises.
I'm back onto using the appliances again despite the space they take up and I think I just found (this past week) a local source for the cartridge heater the fridge needs. I've also got a local plastics guy who's going to make up a replacement window for the cracked one in the marine hatch that I'm using for the vent/window in the head. Because it's on the forward slope of the nose, a glass window there wouldn't survive the first logging road. Using the hatch means I won't need a stone shield for towing. I'll get him to make up a spare as well, just in case...
I'm moving away from using the windows I salvaged in favor of tinted frame-less windows. The cedar frames for the skylight windows went together pretty well (though they're not finished yet either) - so I may do something similar and use the top-hinged rear windows from a full size van since they are flat. Instead of having them kick out an inch or so at the bottom, I'll use hinges in the top holes that will let me open them right up as an awning window. I don't know that I'll be able to get hinges that will mate directly to the holes in the glass, so I'll use the regular round inserts that the factory hinges screw to and run a strip of aluminum bar stock across the inside that I can tap for whatever hinges I want to use.
I'm sure I rambled about it a few pages back, but I've got my solar panels up on the roof of the house and feed them into a 100 A*h deep cycle. From there it's into an inverter to run the espresso machine in the kitchen. I've been doing that as a tester for over a year now. I brought my load tester home from work last week and the battery still has its original capacity. Even at my latitude and with out grey coastal winters, the solar works well enough that I will put those panels on the roof instead of using that space for skylights (there's not enough roof area to do both).
I've been spending most of my spare time this summer fishing and now we're getting into my favorite season for camping - I'm actually leaving in a couple hours for the first trip of the year - but I will be back onto the build soon and I'll resume here when I do.
Again, thanks for sharing your interest in the project and for following along. It's been a long road so far but I still think it's be the best option for my vehicle and for how I like to camp, which tells me I must be on the right track...
